A Question of Disposition
by auspizien
Summary: With the late 1930's bringing the rise of gangsters, bank robbers, and poverty; Sanji Vinsmoke did his best to keep his late-father's farm afloat despite the rising debts. When a criminal - Zoro Roronoa - stumbles onto his property half dead, Sanji makes a choice to aid him despite his better judgement; he just didn't imagine it would cause his world to be so greatly altered...


Zoro's legs were beginning to burn with the strain he had been putting on them since early yesterday morning, dehydration and fatigue making his head ache as he continued to run desperately underneath the scorching summer sun. Deep, panting breaths, long devoid of saliva rasped from his throat as he made his way through the wheat fields, fighting to keep his eyes open against the sweat sliding down his forehead and dripping into his eyes.

Dragging the back of an orange sleeve across his forehead, he removed the sweat in replacement of a large streak of blood and dirt, eyes falling to his hands that had long ago stopped bleeding and now only stung as sweat mixed in the wounds. The front of his shirt was just as marred with the garnet liquid, though now it was turning a more blackish colour as the heat of the sun dried it.

It had been days, and Zoro had no idea exactly where he was running to, all he knew was that he needed to get away from where he had come. As far as he possibly could until they could never track him down. Fighting off a wave of blackening vertigo, he pushed himself forward, urging his weakened legs to continue on - even as he heard the vague sounds of sirens in the distance gaining.

~X~

With a lazy toss, Sanji flicked the husk of corn from the stalk over his shoulder where it landed perfectly in the bucket behind him. Hand reaching up to make sure his hat was still angled to keep the sun from his eyes, he grabbed another husk before pulling it away from the stalk and bringing down the machete sharply to separate the corn from the stalk. Tossing the ear into the basket, he was beginning to feel like it was time to make his way inside and get the corn ready for selling at the market.

Straightening with a satisfied huff, he adjusted the kerchief he had tied around his neck to pat away some of the excess sweat that had built up around his neck while working under the hot summer sun. Machete placed back into its sheath on his hip, he grabbed the strap on the large bucket of corn, hefting it up onto his shoulder as he began to make his way over to his house that was barely visible through the tall corn stalks. The summer sun today had been hotter than usual, though not much different from the usual scorching heat in the fields.

Head tilted down, he focused on just getting the heavy load over to the house when he heard approaching footfall. Normally, he would have assumed it was Chopper, but with the collie currently at his side, he quickly wrote off that option. He could hear heavy panting laced with fear and before he could look up, a solid body collided with him, sending both of them sprawling, corn flying everywhere.

"Ugh." Sanji groaned heavily, eyes still scrunched shut as he tried to shake off the pain of being body checked through several corn stalks. Pushing himself up with a grunt, he annoyingly noted the strewn about contents of his basket - content he had spent hours gathering - before his eyes landed on the person responsible.

The man remained where he had fallen, hands braced behind him as he watched Sanji in nothing short of glazed shock – panting as though he had just run a marathon – sweat and dirt caked across his distressed face. Fine hair barely recognizable through all the blood and dirt that had been worked through it, and clothes completely drenched in blood; though whether it was his own or not remained to be seen.

Sanji cautiously pushed himself to his feet as he kept his eyes locked onto the wide, worried hazel of the man currently sprawled before him. Though he could detect no malice from the man, it didn't take long to figure out that the baggy orange jumpsuit that the man was donning was a prison uniform and Sanji cautiously rested his hand on his sheathed machete as he watched for a sign that the convict might lash out. The blood splattered across his front and on the man's hands didn't help with the image the man sported and Sanji was beginning to suspect more and more that it might be someone else's.

Before Sanji could open his mouth to say anything, Chopper darted forward, head tilting curiously for a moment as he seemed to be assessing the stranger. Sanji's eyes widened slightly at the reaction. Usually, Chopper would immediately hide from or attack the person. But in this case, he instead began sniffing the man curiously.

The man seemed extremely weary of the dog, leaning away, his still somewhat frightened gaze turned toward the dog instead as he watched nervously. Not even a moment later Chopper barked happily before hopping forward and playfully settling down in the man's lap. Head jerking up to look at Sanji happily, tongue lolling from his dopey mouth as he smiled up at him.

Sanji was just as confounded as the man currently sitting with the dog in his lap, though before Sanji could try to ponder as to the meaning behind Chopper's behaviour, the wail of police sirens made all three of them jump. The man stiffened impossibly, and judging from the direction of the cars they were definitely heading down the road to Sanji's farm house.

It was good Chopper remained in the man's lap, because it seemed to be the only thing keeping him from up and bolting, and as they all quietly watched the car pull into the yard through the various stalks of corn, he seemed to be trying to hide behind the dog. Eyes flicking back and forth between the cops, Chopper and the criminal, Sanji made a quick – and hopefully inconsequential – decision.

"Don't even think of running." Sanji hissed quietly, eyes flicking to the cops and then back, "They'll notice the movement of the corn stalks. Sit still."

With that, Sanji began to make his way out of the small corn field and towards the house where the blaring cop car was currently parked, sirens still wailing as two men got out of their vehicle. As he exited the stalks, he passed by the nearby barn, already noting the distressed whinny's of the horses and cows inside getting stirred up from the loud noises. Scowling, he began pulling off his gloves, shoving them in the back pocket of his grubby jeans as he made his way over to the police.

Both dressed to the nines in their uniforms, not a smudge of dirt on them as they watched Sanji approach, one of them puffing on a cigar casually. Coming to a stop in front of the two men, Sanji crossed his arms in annoyance, as he levelled them with an unimpressed look.

"To what do I owe the honour, gentlemen?"

"Convict broke out of Impel Down Penitentiary." The grey haired one with a cigar spoke, "Few witnesses have seen him running this direction, most likely following the fields until the border."

"Really?" Sanji arched an eyebrow in interest, keeping his eyes from shifting to the field behind him. It was obvious that it was the same man currently hiding in his corn, what was the real point of interest was if he should turn the man in or not. "What'd he do?"

"Robbery. Arson. Murder." The one with a cigar listed, "Amoung other things."

That almost seemed a given from the way the man was covered in blood. Though from the state of the man and the way he hadn't immediately acted out against Sanji, it was hard to believe that the man had killed to get out. If he had, he would have tried to kill Sanji as well. This man clearly had some form of conscious, and some form of trust if he was actually putting his life in Sanji's hands.

"Hmm." Sanji grunted in response, nodding lightly, "Broke out, did he? How?"

"Climbed the fence." The cop replied, "He should be hurt pretty bad, but he's still dangerous."

"Ah." Sanji once more made a noise of understanding, as he was beginning to feel less and less weary of the criminal currently hiding in his corn field. Chopper wouldn't have taken to someone so quickly if they had anything but pure intentions. If the man had any malicious thoughts, or ill intentions, Chopper would've attacked instantly.

"Well, thank you officers." Sanji inclined his head, mind made up, "I'll keep an eye out for the time being."

"Good day." The younger officer tipped his hat happily before they both got back into their vehicle, speeding off down the long dirt road out of Sanji's yard. Standing casually on the grass in front of his quaint farm yard house, he watched the tail lights of the car make its way slowly out and back toward the highway.

After a few minutes Chopper came bounding out of the fields, making his way swiftly over to Sanji as he playfully bounced around his feet before settling into a patient seated position. Letting his hand fall to the collie's head he gently stroked the soft fur behind his ears as they watched the cop car pull out onto the highway and speed off, absently wondering now what he was supposed to do about the murderer hiding in his corn.

Letting out a sigh, he glanced down at Chopper, smiling softly at the dopey grin he directed his way as Sanji muttered quietly, "Hope I'm not going to regret this."

Chopper only replied with a happy bark before standing and trotting off back toward the corn field, Sanji not that far behind as he placed his hands in his pockets. Watching Chopper's tail standing tall in his cheerful mood, Sanji mulled over what exactly he was supposed to do with the man.

Obviously, he had decided against telling the cops, but after that what would he do? Sanji sighed as he decided against worrying about that. For now he had to find out what the hell the man wanted to do, and if he even wanted Sanji's help to begin with. Regardless, Sanji owed nothing to the police and as his late father had taught him, no one could judge a man except for yourself.

When Sanji found him back, the man was still sitting exactly where he had been left, but instead had shut his eyes and seemed to be enjoying the tranquility provided to him by the shelter of the tall corn. It must have been the first rest he had had if he had indeed broken out of Impel Down Penitentiary. Grand Line City was a long ways out, no where near the small farm villages out in the middle of Kansas.

How the man had even managed to run that far in that amount of time was amazing. Sanji honestly couldn't see how the man was still standing. Though as Sanji absently took in the chapped lips, the swollen black under his eyes, and the rattling breaths; it became clear that the man was bordering on severe dehydration and fatigue. He truly must have not stopped running since the moment he had escaped...

Pulling a cigarette free from his breast pocket, Sanji calmly lit it before broaching, "Have a name?"

Eyes slowly sliding open, the man made no move to get up as his gaze flicked absently towards the clearing just beyond the corn before back to Sanji; no doubt wondering why the cops hadn't come to arrest him. When he seemed to understand the situation, he eventually grumbled through a hoarse throat, "Zoro."

"Sanji." Sanji offered in return as he replaced his cigarette between his lips, before jerking his head towards Chopper who had come to sit eagerly beside Zoro, "And that's Chopper."

Making a soft noise of acknowledgement, Zoro turned to look at Chopper before back up at Sanji.

"C'mon." Sanji gestured towards the house behind him, "We should get that blood off of you. Can you stand?"

Zoro lay still for a few moments in obvious confusion before wearily making to push himself to his feet. Chopper immediately getting up alongside the other man and circling around him in concern as it was clear Zoro wasn't as stable as he thought he was.

It was like witnessing a newborn calf hobble on its boney legs for the first time, and when a misplaced stumble had the man threatening to go back down Sanji was ducking under his arm and heaving him back to his feet. Zoro didn't thank him outright, but gave a small mumble of gratitude that had the farmer only quietly smile to himself at the man's obvious embarrassed reluctance. Adjusting the man's arm over his shoulder so he could support him better, Sanji cast a glance at the man's steadily waning features, "Can you walk?"

Zoro nodded slowly, but judging from the way his eyelids were starting to droop against his will, it was likely that the dehydration was beginning to get to him. It seemed best to get the man tended to, cleaned up, and resting as quickly as possible. Sanji could never deny a man a meal, and once he had done his best; he could let the man decide for himself what he wanted to do. Not bothering with any more troublesome questions, Sanji began to make his way back to the house with Zoro managing to stumble along next to him with heavy steps, Chopper happily trailing at their heels.

In the house Sanji, kicked off his boots and then supported Zoro to allow him to do the same, toeing off the grubby prison provided shoes that were falling apart at the seams. It was only when Sanji had begun to lead the man upstairs to the bathroom when Zoro seemed to finally find his voice. It was kind of nice – a little gruff that could be considered angry – but actually sounded somewhat warm when spoken with the man's odd city accent.

"Why are you helping me?"

Glancing over at the man he was currently supporting, he found Zoro staring back at him with a curious look in his eyes. They were close enough to allow Sanji to assess the man beyond the blood and dirt masking his features - a strong jaw, square features, and a slender nose that had definitely been broken a time or two. Looking gruff and dirty in his orange jumpsuit - certainly not a friendly man by any means - but underneath was a young man probably no older than himself.

Shrugging, Sanji asked, "Do you not want my help?"

Eyes only narrowing somewhat in annoyance at the reply, Zoro nevertheless allowed himself to be guided up the creaky old stairs onto the second landing and into the bathroom. The old fashioned metal basin tub took up most of the small room as Sanji kicked the cover of the toilet down and helped the man to sit without tumbling to the floor. While the man took a seat, Sanji grabbed a small wash pail and began filling it full of water, pulling out some washcloths in the meantime.

Chopper helpfully sat beside Zoro and rested his head on the man's thigh in concern, Sanji masking his surprise at the dog's behaviour as he eventually turned back to the man, pointing casually as he remembered the cops words, "So that's your blood, yeah?"

"Mine." Zoro grunted absently as his attention was momentarily subverted by Chopper and how friendly he was being. An awkward hand coming up to pat the dog on the head, each stroke slow and lethargic as Zoro was clearly putting on a strong facade despite how exhausted he obviously was.

"Alright." Sanji breathed a sigh, hoping it sounded more annoyed than relieved, "Get that off then."

As the man pulled off the top of the orange jumpsuit, he revealed the torn what-used-to-be-white shirt underneath that was even more soaked through. Sanji pulled out some salves and bandages as he realized the man was probably a bit more beaten up than he was letting on. A pained wince lanced across his face as he slowly pulled off the white shirt with some difficulty, revealing the gross looking wound underneath.

"Shit." Sanji breathed lightly as he began dipping a cloth in the wash pail, eyeing up the large gash that had been hidden underneath his clothes, "What happened?"

"The barbed wire on the fence caught me when I fell." Zoro explained quietly as he watched Sanji begin to carefully wipe away the blood caked onto his front. Frowning, Sanji focused intently on the grossly jagged cut that ran from the man's left shoulder all the way down to the opposite hip and he gained a silent respect for the man. How he had managed to run for so long with this type of painful wound was beyond Sanji.

As more and more of the old blood was wiped away, the wound looked somewhat better, though it was obvious he would need some time to let the wound heal and the bruising to go away. It was a miracle he wasn't already getting an infection from the barbed wire, but at least the man wouldn't have to worry about needing to go to the hospital.

"Why didn't you turn me in?" Zoro asked, his voice dragging Sanji away from his work as he glanced back up at the man, and it was this time that Sanji noted the man's eyes. Sharp and clear amoungst the dirt smudged across his face, and only occasionally hidden by dirty hair that fell lightly into his eyes as it seemed unkempt from the time he had no doubt spent in the prison.

"I don't owe anything to those cops." Sanji scoffed through a laugh, "I make my own judgments of people."

"I heard them tell you I was a murderer." Zoro stated rather bluntly, "Doesn't that frighten you?"

"Chopper trusts you; I trust you." Sanji affirmed with a smile as he was becoming more and more satisfied with the cleanliness of the wound. Glancing over to where Chopper had perked up at the mention of his name, he directed his next words to the hound, "If you were really a bad person, Chopper'd've taken your arm off. Ain't that right, boy?"

Chopper yipped in affirmation to Sanji's coddling tone, and that had a small chuckle coming from the other man, which relieved Sanji to know the man could actually laugh. However, the wince of pain that flickered across Zoro's face due to the motion did not go unnoticed by Sanji and he wondered how much of the pain the guy was really trying to hide.

"Though," Sanji mused as he wrung out the cloth, flicking it a few times to make sure the rest of the water was out of it before tossing it onto the side of the tub to dry, "you don't really seem like the killer type..."

"You'd be surprised." Zoro admitted softly.

Nodding quietly Sanji snatched up the pail full of bloody water, and dumped it down the drain before filling up a new pail for the man to clean himself with. While waiting for it to fill, he began carefully applying the ointment to the wound before getting the man to sit up to properly bandage the wound. By the time he was finished he was able to snatch up the now filled pail and set it down beside Zoro. Placing a new cloth and some soap in the man's dirty hands, he muttered, "Clean yourself up a bit and I'll grab you some clothes."

From the way Zoro's mouth opened, it appeared he immediately wanted to protest, though the eventual reality of the situation seemed to sink in and he slowly shut his jaw. Giving a nod of thanks and turning towards the pail, he began to wash his hands.

Sanji left him to clean himself as he went to his room to try and find something the man could sleep in. The man was only a tad taller than himself, but they seemed about the same size as he rooted through his drawers for an older pair of sleep pants and plain white shirt. Tucking the clean clothes under his arm, he made his way downstairs to grab a glass of water for the undoubtedly parched man.

Making his way back to the bathroom, he found Zoro just finishing up with dumping the last of the filthy water down the drain. Properly washed, the man looked significantly cleaner and happier, though his face and hands had obviously been slightly burnt from his time spent running in the sun. Aside from that, his bronze skin was natural, and when not smudged with dirt, his fair hair looked very healthy.

"Feel better?" Sanji chuckled lightly as he passed the man the clean clothes and the glass of water, silently noticing the bandages the man had added to his hands in Sanji's absence. Making a note of it as he gestured to the clothes Zoro now held, "Just something to sleep in."

"You've already done more than enough." Zoro nodded, and if Sanji hadn't known the man was burnt, he'd have thought he was blushing, "You don't owe me anything."

"I'm sure you'll make it up to me." Sanji dismissed the man's false modesty as they exited the bathroom, jerking his head towards a closed door that sat across the upper floor landing from the bathroom, "Spare room. Sleep for a while; you look exhausted."

"Okay." Zoro grunted back quietly, standing awkwardly at the top landing of the stairs as Sanji began to slowly make his way downstairs with Chopper following after. Leaving the man to his own devices, and only barely hearing the muttered, "Thank you."

Vaguely hearing the door open and close, Sanji smiled to himself at the man's behaviour as he found back his discarded work boots and pulled them on. Heading out onto the front porch. he glanced around the scorching fields as he began to quietly catalogue all the other chores he still had to get done today before heaving a sigh as he supposed he should start with collecting the corn that was still strewn about on the ground in the field.

~X~

Standing alone in the small bedroom with a set of clean clothes poised in his arms and a glass of water in his hand, Zoro stared at the floor for several moments in stunted disbelief. Still not quite sure what had just happened - the severe dehydration and fatigue not making it any easier for him to figure out - he had somehow managed to not only evade the cops, but be given a place of refuge as well.

Taking a few numb steps further into the room, he dropped the clothes on the bed and raised the large glass to begin chugging as much water as could; only stopping when he felt ill. Lowering the glass with a relieved gasp as he began to feel some of his mental faculties returning to himself as the incredulity of his situation was beginning to make itself more clear.

Setting the glass aside on the nightstand, his gaze darted to the window that looked out towards the tin roof that jutted out to protect the porch below, and beyond that the wheat fields that he had spent days running through. His first instinct to climb out through it and return to making his way across the countryside. Not that he didn't think the man that had just helped him and lied to the police would suddenly betray him, but Zoro was not used to trusting so blindly.

Instincts telling him this was a better chance than most - clean, banadaged, and rehydrated - to take the opportunity to run, but his body aching at the sight of the freshly made bed laid out in front of him. Debating within himself for several loathsome minutes before his exhaustion won out against his better judgement as he quickly changed before falling face first into the bed; passing out before the springs had even ceased their creaking.

~X~

Plate in hand, Sanji stood outside the guest bedroom listening for any sign of life within. It had been almost two days since the man had stumbled onto Sanji's farm and accepted Sanji's help, and while Sanji was more than happy with letting the man sleep as long as he needed, he was beginning to grow a bit worried.

Knocking softly, Sanji waited with his ear near the door for any sign of movement, and after a while managed to discern the undisturbed sound of soft snores. Sanji supposed that he could have just opened the door to check, but he didn't want to infringe on the criminal's privacy regardless of if it was Sanji's house. Knowing that Zoro was at least alive left Sanji feeling a lot less worried.

Placing the plate down beside the door, he left a note with it, explaining where he had gone in case the man awoke and became concerned – not that he seemed the type, but it was at least the polite thing for him to do – before heading back down stairs and out to his truck where he had been loading the last of the corn and cream.

Checking that everything was secured, he finally turned to Chopper whom had been circling the truck in agitation as the dog always got a little riled up whenever he could tell that Sanji was getting ready to leave. Dropping to a knee, Chopper launched himself into Sanji's arms as he affectionately ruffled the fur along the dog's jaw with both his hands, "You keep an eye on the place, okay bud? Make sure Zoro keeps resting."

Chopper yipped with a dopey smile.

A warm smile lit up Sanji's face as he pushed himself to his feet with a final pat to the dog's head, "Good boy."

Clamouring into his truck and starting the engine, Sanji cast a final glance to the upper bedroom window where Zoro was resting before throwing the truck in gear and pulling out of the yard. He was admittedly a little wary over leaving the unknown criminal alone in his house, however at this point he didn't have much choice. Zoro had been unconscious for a couple days now with no sign of waking, and Sanji desperately needed to go into town to sell as much as he could.

Ever since the stock market crashed several years ago, people were in pretty dire situations. Sanji was lucky enough to have the farm to sustain him with everything he grew, but it was the taxes on the land that were currently weighing heavy. It was why he went to the market as often as possible to sell any extra food he harvested and didn't intend to eat or can; any extra money was greatly appreciated.

Cream and eggs always sold well, and so did the corn. When he had the spare time, he would make surplus batches of bread to bring to the market on Sunday's. Even with all the extra money though, it was barely enough to keep things held over, let alone help with the debts left over after his adoptive father passed away. Sanji was chipping away at the debt, but it was getting to the point where he was being pressured to sell the land; something he could never do to Zeff.

If Zoro did intend to try and rob him while Sanji was gone, it would do little good. All he would find would be some sentimental garbage that would mean nothing to him, and a stack of overdue bills, showing just how little money Sanji currently had. Though he certainly hoped Zoro was a better man than that.

~X~

"And please tell Conis hello from me."

"I most certainly will," Pagaya gave Sanji a warm smile as he began to leave with the bundle of corn and container of eggs in hand, "Take it easy, Sanji."

"I always do," Sanji assured with a grin as he waved off the old man, waiting until he was gone before turning back to his stand as he finished packing up the empty barrels into the back of his truck. Hefting the last of them up before turning back to the remainder of his wares. There were only a couple cartons of eggs left and he had managed to sell all of the cream.

"Heading out early?"

Turning to the stall next to his, Koda looked up at Sanji with a sweet smile on her face that crinkled the crows feet at the corners of her eyes in an endearing way. She was a portly woman who normally set up next to Sanji on weekends to sell cream, milk, and pastries from her and her husband's bakery - which made a decent profit. On occasion her daughter would join her, but today she was alone.

"Most likely." Sanji mused as he subtly put away the cigarette he had begun to pull out as he made his way over, "How's your week been? Did you get that new oven?"

"As well as it could be." Koda laughed merrily, "And we did. We did! I can't pull Kyuji way from it; he loves it. I swear it's getting more attention than I ever did!"

Sanji chuckled, "It's just a passing fancy, I'm sure."

"One can only hope." Koda shook her head with a playful smile before waving a hand at Sanji, "But what about you? All alone out there on your farm. You sure you getting all the attention you need, sweetheart?"

"I get plenty." Sanji reassured.

"Fine. Fine. But I'll still worry." Koda admonished, "You know you're always welcome for dinner whenever you want."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sanji murmured the same response as he always did, touched at her concern but never actually bold enough to take her up on her offer. Jerking his thumb over his shoulder he broached, "Mind making sure no hooligans get into my truck; I was hoping to run down the street and grab a few things?"

"Take all the time you need, darling."

Waving him off with almost annoyed impatience before busting out into laughter, Sanji simply shook his head fondly as he snatched his pack from the truck bed and made his way out of the market and down the street. Pulling a cigarette free once he was a respectable distance away and lighting up. Taking a much needed drag, he made his way past the local library and his eyes flickered up to the large bulletin board as he mentally tallied everything he needed to grab.

Pausing in his tracks, Sanji had to double back several paces to take in the freshly hung bounty poster amoung the myriad of other local ads, for sale signs, and missing animals. The distinct features of the man on the poster catching Sanji's attention instantly as the man currently living on his property. Snatching the poster from where it was pinned, he began scanning the information below;

_Zoro Roronoa_

_$66, 000 Reward_

_Wanted for Grand Theft Auto, Grand Larceny, First Degree Murder, Involuntary Manslaughter, Felony Murder, Felony Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary..._

On and on the list went as Sanji was beginning to seriously question the man that had seemed so innocent upon his abrupt arrival to Sanji's farm. Even before he had decided to let the man stay, the cops had warned him of all this, but seeing it in writing along with the man's wanted poster put it all into a fresh perspective. Chopper had trusted him, but maybe that wasn't enough.

Eyes drawn to the reward, Sanji hesitated for a moment as he let the horrible thought form of what that amount of money could do for his late-stepfather's farm. With that kind of money not only would he be able to pay off the bills that were drowning the place, but he could probably get some new equipment, several more cows, and maybe even rebuild the corner of the barn that was starting to rot.

It was far too tempting, and with the police station just a few blocks down, it would take nothing to grab the cops and take them back to his place where Zoro would be unsuspecting. Unless the man had already suspected Sanji of this behaviour and decided to flee with what little of Sanji's money he could before he got caught...

Cursing himself for such vile thoughts, he crumpled up the paper and shoved it to the bottom of his knapsack before turning on his heel and storming back to the market. Zeff would have stoved his head in for even considering to betray someone he had promised to help just to save the farm; that man himself hadn't exactly been the most upstanding of citizens and while he had never admitted it Sanji was pretty sure most of the land he currently lived on was bought using dirty money. To turn around and turn in another criminal after everything Zeff had done for Sanji, would be the biggest insult.

~X~

A parched throat and a dull ache had Zoro waking with mild confusion. Glancing about himself, he realized that the ceiling above him was far too rustic to belong to his cell, and the bed beneath his back was much too comfortable; only needing a few seconds to remind himself of his escape and his fortuitous meeting with Sanji. Despite his initial reservations about falling asleep in such an unknown place, it seemed that nothing nefarious had happened and he'd even been allowed to rest.

Pushing himself up gingerly, he found the ache that radiated from his chest was persistent, but much more manageable than it had been a couple days ago. The bandages felt stiff from dried blood, but weren't entirely uncomfortable and as he got to his feet, he felt almost human again.

Making his way to the bathroom to relieve himself, he found fresh bandages and salves already laid out on the counter waiting for him and felt a tad guilty about his reservations for the other man. After taking a quick piss, Zoro washed up and then took the time to remove his old bandages, clean his wound, and redress it. By the time he was finished he felt remarkably better, and left the bathroom feeling almost back to his old self.

Pausing outside the bathroom, a plate and a glass of water near the bedroom door caught his attention and he stalked over to inspect it. On it lay an apple, several biscuits, and a handful of cherry tomatoes, with a note resting in the centre. Snatching it up, he flicked it open with his thumb to find clean cursive;

_Went to the market._

_Will be back by sundown._

_Help yourself to anything in the fridge._

_\- Sanji_

At that Zoro's eyebrows rose at the notion of the man leaving Zoro alone in his house, and it made Zoro wonder if the man was always this trusting. Replacing the card, he snatched up the apple and took a bite as he took the plate with him, heading downstairs and out to the back porch. Setting it down on the patio table out back and finding a seat in patch of sunlight.

It was the first time that Zoro was actually able to take in a decent view of the property when he wasn't delirious with dehydration. Gaze wandering over the picturesque fields that danced lazily in the summer breeze that he hadn't properly appreciated when he had been running through them. Their golden stalks practically glowing as they caught the sun's glow and lit up like an ocean of gold; it was a sight his friend Nami would've probably enjoyed, he mused to himself somewhat miserably.

Taking another bite of the apple, his mind turned to his gang - the people he had broken out of Impel in the first place to try and get back to - and how much he missed them. It had been months since they had been separated, and he knew it might be even longer still until he managed to track them down again. Casting a glance back up at the house, he contemplated how easy it would be to gather what supplies he might need, some food, and any spare cash he could find around the house before leaving... before Sanji would even return.

But there was nowhere to go.

Not only did he have no idea where he was, he didn't even know where any of his old gang members would be and if they were all still alive. Leaving now would not only be stupid, but a huge disrespect to the help that the blond man had given him completely unprompted. It seemed, at least for the moment, Zoro had no better choice than to stay where he was.

Finishing the apple, he set aside the core as he shook himself of the morose thoughts, a motion to the side of the porch catching his attention as Chopper came bounding around the corner and up the few steps. Skidding to a halt in front of Zoro with a dopey smile and an excited jittering throughout his body.

"Hullo." Zoro grunted to the dog, leaning forward as much as his wound could comfortably allow to pet the dog affectionately. Amazed at how quickly the dog had taken to him, and even now how much he leaned into Zoro's touch with a happy yip. A smile fighting its way onto Zoro's face as he brought up another hand to ruffle the dog's fur as he mused, "I suppose I owe you my gratitude, huh?"

Chopper just whined happily and turned his head into Zoro's palm.

Now that Zoro was actually properly rested, everything from the other day seemed so much more incredulous in contrast. Having the misfortune of running smack dab into someone right before the cops happened onto his property, and then having this ridiculously trusting dog clamour into his lap and save his life.

Zoro was by no means a heartless criminal as the papers would have people believe, but he wasn't innocent either. He could acknowledge that everything he had done up until this point in his life hadn't exactly put him in a good spotlight, but it had also gotten to a point where he had stopped expecting charity from people that he didn't deserve it from. When people found out he had murdered people, they treated him as he sincerely believed he deserved to be treated, and never held it against anyone.

However, Sanji had thrown him for a loop.

In any other scenario Zoro would have expected that some poor soul that had crossed his path would immediately turn him in - and for a moment when Zoro had been sprawled, exhausted in the corn while Sanji had spoken to the cops, Zoro had been certain that the blond would do just that - but then he didn't. Instead, he had lied and even gone so far as to help and care for him; all because of this dog.

It wasn't a treatment he was used to from strangers who knew what he had done and Zoro still wasn't certain what he was supposed to think, but he was grateful nonetheless. Leaning back a bit more comfortably in his chair, Zoro continued to stroke the dog's head affectionately as he returned to appreciating the view from the back porch.

~X~

A rich orange glow hovered across the endless horizon as Sanji pulled into the long dirt road that lead down to the farmhouse nestled deep within the cornstalks. The last shreds of piercing rays dancing through the stalks as they leaned lazily with the mild spring breeze sweeping across the countryside and bringing dusk. As he pulled the truck into the open area surrounding the house, the sky was already transforming to a darker red and Sanji's gaze settled on the house.

No lights were on – though the sun had only just set – and Sanji began to wonder if maybe Zoro had in fact taken his chance and bolted the second he hadn't been under watchful eye. Grabbing his bags and keys, he levered out of the truck before making his way to the house. Chopper bounding around the side of the house to meet him, skirting around Sanji's legs as the blond chuckled, "Yes, yes. Hey, buddy."

Upon shouldering his way into the house, there was no apparent signs of someone home, nor of someone greeting him and his suspicions mounted a bit more. Depositing all of the bags in the kitchen, he made his way upstairs to inspect Zoro's room only to find it empty; bed neatly made and the spare blanket folded neatly on the chair poised in the corner. A slight frown creased Sanji's brow as that was oddly polite behaviour for a criminal that had decided to take off, and potentially taken Sanji's things. Entering his own room next, he found everything completely undisturbed and a surge of guilt hit him in the gut for even worrying about something like that.

As Sanji made his way down the old stairs – steps groaning under him - back to the first floor, he couldn't help but be baffled by the behaviour of the so called criminal. All those crimes he had supposedly committed, and yet the man had been relatively polite – albeit stubborn – and liked to tidy up after himself. It all didn't quite add up.

Reaching the landing, Sanji was about to make his way back into the kitchen when a rather loud crack from the back porch had his head snapping up curiously. Hand already reaching for the shotgun stashed in the umbrella stand, he slowly inched his way down the darkened hall and towards the back door. Getting steadily closer as a familiar thwack noise reached Sanji's ears and suddenly he was much more in a state of disbelief than fear.

Wrenching open the back door, Sanji stood in the frame looking down into the backyard a tad flummoxed as he found Zoro poised in front of the chopping block, axe in had. A concerningly large pile of chopped wood had grown off to the side which had Sanji wondering just how long he had been at it for, and also how he could be doing this, considering he was still healing from being nearly torn in half.

Dusk was falling fast now, but there was still enough burning red along the horizon to silhouette the larger man as he placed another log atop the block, adjusted his stance, and brought down the axe in a single swing. A deep red glow from the horizon reflected off the surface of the head for a moment, before being embedded in the log that proceeded to fall apart in two clean halves.

Picking up one of the halves, Zoro proceeded to follow the same process for a few more pieces before he was broken from his spell the same moment Sanji was as the screen door – that had been propped open by Sanji – had slipped from his lax grip in his distraction. Zoro's gaze snapped to Sanji's and he didn't know why, but when the eyes settled on him, he felt like he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have. It was a bizarre feeling and had Sanji speechless for several seconds longer than he ought to.

This gave Zoro the opportunity to relax his stance, lightly toss the axe to grasp it in a much more relaxed grip, and level on Sanji with a polite, yet unreadable look. Sanji's eyes for their part falling to the bandages obstructed by the white shirt he wore, no blood visible so it seemed the man probably wasn't in as rough shape as Sanji had worried he'd be.

"What's that for?" Zoro inclined his head towards the shotgun still in Sanji's grasp and the blond had to physically look down before realizing he still had it with him.

Sheepishly setting it down against the wall behind him, Sanji managed to gather a bit of his resolve to respond, "Thought there might be a delinquent in the yard or something."

"You're not wrong."

"Ah. Heh." A small chuckle caught Sanji off guard as he hadn't quite expected the man to go along with his joke that was clearly in poor taste, but it seemed like the man at least had a sense of humour. Hand coming up to palm the back of his neck nervously, Sanji was suddenly very much aware of his dishonest thoughts earlier that day when Zoro had done nothing more than chop some firewood and respectfully wait for Sanji to return. "How're your wounds?"

"They're fine."

"Not to seem ungrateful," Sanji broached tentatively, eyes drifting to Chopper who had come back around from the front of the house and was trotting over to Zoro, "but you should probably be inside, resting."

Sparing a glance to Chopper who was now inspecting the pile of wood in interest, Zoro eventually admitted quietly, "I don't much like sitting still."

"Well, if it's chores you want, I got a list 'bout a mile long," Sanji joked, "But winter ain't for several months and there's not much use for that much firewood in the summer."

"Okay."

"C'mon." Sanji inclined his head inside as he pulled open the screen door once more and snatched up the shotgun, "I was just about to make some food."

At that, Zoro simply nodded and returned the axe to its place in the chopping block with a single hard swing. Leaving it poised against the growing dark enveloping the sky as he made his way up the porch steps and into the house with Chopper right at his heels before Sanji followed after. More than a little amazed at how quickly the dog had taken to the other man.

Once inside Chopper made for his bed beside the fireplace as Sanji followed Zoro's lumbering figure towards the kitchen as it really seemed the man wasn't much one for words; many of his answers being monosyllabic, and even when forced to, his sentences were short and to the point.

Inside the kitchen, Zoro took a seat at the table and simply watched as Sanji went about cooking up a simple meal for the two of them. Normally he'd take a little bit longer to make something a bit more special, but considering the man hadn't likely eaten a proper meal in a couple days Sanji didn't want to make the man wait any longer than he had too.

When he laid out the hearty portion of meat, potatoes, and corn, Zoro waited politely until Sanji had taken his own seat before inclining his head in genuine gratitude before digging in. Sanji watched at the curious behaviour, but said nothing, once again thrown by the man's behaviour that was so uncharacteristic of how he assumed someone who was a criminal would act.

Instead, he simply ate his own meal and refused to comment on it. As they sat and ate, Sanji couldn't help but note how much different it was to sit and eat a meal with someone else. It had been a couple years now since his step-father had passed, and he had gotten so used to eating alone with only Chopper to keep him company. But now there was another human being with him and he wasn't sure how to make conversation, or if he was even supposed to. So, when Sanji said the first thing that came to mind, he supposed it wasn't as tactful as he would have liked it to be, "I saw your poster in town today."

Glancing up from his food, Zoro looked at Sanji though whether it was because he wanted Sanji to continue or he thought the subject trivial was absolutely lost on Sanji. Ignoring the fact that he still – frustratingly – could not get a read on the other man, he leaned out of his chair and snatched his bag from where it lay near the table leg when he had discarded it earlier while in search of Zoro.

Digging around in it for a moment before locating the crumbled ball of paper, pulling it free and straightening before laying it out on the table between them. Facing the poster towards the man who was on it, pointing towards the script at the bottom as he asked, "You really did everything they say you done?"

Zoro was quite for a lot longer than Sanji had expected him to be, enough so that he was beginning to worry a touch that maybe he had gone too far. But a moment later Zoro was looking back up at Sanji, as blank as ever as he stated, "Thought it didn't matter."

Leaning back in his chair, Sanji couldn't fault Zoro that; Sanji had said that when they had first met and he supposed he still lived by it. Giving a shrug, Sanji snatched up his water and took a sip, replacing the cup on the table before musing, "Suppose not."

Silence fell once more as they ate, the occasional clinking of cutlery on china breaking through the din as it seemed Zoro wasn't one for conversations. Sanji finished a fair portion of his meal before glancing up at him, "So what's your plan?"

Zoro stilled, fork poised over his plate as the question seemed to halt him in his tracks. Sanji cast an interested look up at the man as confusion riddled his brow and Sanji began to wonder if the man hadn't really been running anywhere specific but was simply running to get away. Lowering his fork a touch, Zoro asked, "Plan?"

"Do you want to stay here?" Sanji offered, it had been a while since anyone else had helped him out on the farm. And while the animals and Chopper were wonderful company, he could use someone to help out with all the things around the ranch.

"Stay?" Zoro repeated.

"Of course." Sanji smiled softly, " Unless, you have somewhere that you need to be?"

"No." Zoro murmured, the word definite though losing its strength as he looked away solemnly, "I don't have anywhere to go..."

"Then stay here; place to sleep, food to eat, bit of work. " Sanji mused, trying to not dwell too much on the saddened tone that had taken over Zoro's words at the mention of a plan. It was clear there were some things that the man was not comfortable sharing, and Sanji wasn't one to pry. Trying to keep the mood light, he chortled, "Besides you kind of owe me for tackling me through a bunch of corn stalks."

"That's it?" Zoro questioned in confusion,.

Sanji raised an eyebrow at the man, "Course. There's always room on a farm for some extra help."

"But..." Zoro scowled, still seeming to not get what was going on.

"Look, I don't care about what your old life was like." Sanji dismissively waved a hand. Any and all reservations Sanji had had about the man were now gone, Zoro had easily proven his trust and more. At this point Sanji was willing to offer whatever he could, "You need a place to stay, you got it. I'll give you some work in exchange for what you eat and that's that. You're free to leave whenever you want; though for the time being I wouldn't advise it since they have the whole state looking for you."

Zoro still seemed perplexed by the whole thing, but stayed silent this time, only nodding as he agreed to Sanji's terms. Turning back to his plate to shove his food around a bit, whatever was going on in the man's head Sanji couldn't begin to fathom, but when he looked up for the first time Sanji could actually read the gratitude morphing the man's face as he gave a soft, "Thank you."

That managed to put a smile on Sanji's face as it seemed like he was finally making progress with the other man, but he still couldn't quite get him past grunted 'thank you's' and single syllable answers. It was something they could work on in the future, along with a few other things, "However…"

A look of genuine worry took over Zoro's face as he grunted, "Hm?"

"That'll need fixing." Sanji tapped at the blond hair on the poster before looking up at the real thing, "You're too easily recognized. Mind, I don't get many visitors, but if you ever want to be around other people, you're going to need to change your look a bit."

A slight frown marred Zoro's brow, but he didn't seem put out as he asked, "What'd you have in mind?"

"I have some dyes I use for my old clothes when they begin to fade; just a mixture of mordant and nuts," Sanji suggested as he pulled a cigarette from the pack that had been left on the table. Fiddling with it as he muttered, "Might just do the trick."

"Alright." Zoro gave another short nod, "Anything else?"

"Yeah, actually." Sanji lit the smoke and took a casual drag on it, still not quite sure how he was going to get the man to stop responding to his questions with a nod of agreement. Pointing the smoke at him and asking rather shrewdly, "How the hell'd you win over my dog so quick?"

At that, a large grin broke out across Zoro's face the likes of which Sanji hadn't seen on the other man before and he began laughing incredulously. Placing his cigarette back to his lips, Sanji kept it poised there as he smiled into his hand as his own shoulders shook with mirth at the confounded look on the other man's face. Both of them laughing as Zoro shook his a head through his chuckles as he admitted through a wide smile, "I honestly have no idea."

TBC...


End file.
